Kelly's Hollywood
Honest and raw, Kelly’s Hollywood tell the intimate story of an aspiring actor who brings his sister, born with Down syndrome, out to Los Angeles to pursue her dream of becoming a Hollywood diva. But as her health begins to fail and she becomes increasing jealous of his fiancée, he is forced to confront his co-dependent sibling relationship and the threat it is posing on his engagement.
"You would be hard-pressed to find a more touching and ultimately life-affirming documentary…" Huffington Post
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Brian DonovanDirector
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Brian DonovanWriter
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Kelly DonovanWriter
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Brian DonovanProducer
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Kelly DonovanKey Cast
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Project Type:Documentary
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Runtime:1 hour 22 minutes 6 seconds
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Completion Date:February 12, 2016
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Country of Origin:United States
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Country of Filming:United States
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Language:English
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Shooting Format:Digital
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Aspect Ratio:1.33
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:Yes
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Student Project:No
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TASH 2016 National Conference -- Postive Images in Media AwardWashington DC
United States
November 30, 2016
2016 Positive Images in Media Award -
Atlanta DOCUFEST -- Juror's Choice AWARDAtlanta
United States
August 29, 2016
JUROR'S CHOICE AWARD -
Three Rivers International Film FestivalPittsburgh, PA
United States
November 18, 2016 -
Lone Star Film FestivalFort Worth, Texas
United States
November 12, 2016
Texas -
Special Affects Film FestivalSan Francisco
United States
August 20, 2016 -
Dances With FilmsLos Angeles, CA
United States
West Coast Premiere -
National Down Syndrome Congress 2016 ConventionOrlando
United States
June 25, 2016 -
Sprout Film Festival -- Opening Night FilmNYC
United States
East Coast Premiere
Opened the festival
Distribution Information
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Showtime NetworksCountry: United StatesRights: Video on Demand, Paid TV
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S.H. Channel 8 Ltd.Country: IsraelRights: All Rights
Brian Donovan has been a professional actor for over twenty-five years in film, television and radio. He’s worked on-screen with such luminaries as Angelina Jolie, Jim Carrey and Jim Belushi. He is currently the voice of Rock Lee in the juggernaut anime hit, Naruto, and later this year he can be seen in the indie film, Somebody’s Mother. In addition, Brian has been the Executive Director of the Los Angeles Repertory Theatre since 1994, producing and directing more than 50 inner-city high school workshops and live shows. He lives in Los Angeles, CA with his family and dog, Cosmo.
"There’s a saying, ‘love is the only true adventure’, I would add, ‘making a movie about love is the only true adventure’. When I picked up the camera 15 years ago and started shooting my sister Kelly, I didn’t have much of an agenda. I was capturing moments in her life that intrigued and inspired me, but when those moments started to affect me more directly, I got more serious about making this film. I had a unique perspective on an intimate relationship with a disabled sibling, so intimate that my romantic relationships became increasingly complicated and constrained, leading me to this exploration on human connection, commitment and the choices in life that effect one’s fate.
Side note: When I heard that 90% of expecting parents were choosing to abort their fetus upon discovering potential disabilities through genetic testing I started to worry. I’m not here to judge and my film stays far away from the pro-life/pro-choice battle. However, growing up, my father was deaf, my sister had Down syndrome and my best friend was born with Kyphosis or in lay man’s terms, a ‘hunch back,’ and I can’t imagine my life without them. They have contributed more to humanity than almost everyone else I know combined. I felt it was important and necessary to make a film about my sister who personified to me that ‘it’s not who you are when you’re born, but who you are when you live.'